


pick a side

by aksuallie



Category: DreamSMP, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: LISTEN I DONT FUCKING KNOW HOW TO DO THIS SHIT, RANBOO FINALLY HAS A BACKBONE, RANBOO IS FINALLY DEFENDING HIMSELF AND HIS MORALS, anyway, good for him, ive literally never posted on ao3 so i dont know how to do this LMAO, pretty much it i guess, ranboo do this in canon please, ranboo is going to fucking destroy lmanburg, ranboo joins techno and phil, this is so much more difficult than twitter, uhhhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 11:56:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28581606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aksuallie/pseuds/aksuallie
Summary: ranboo doesn't care about countries, he cares about his friends. but when they cast him aside and label him as a traitor, he decides to finally speak up on his feelings about l'manburg.
Comments: 11
Kudos: 397





	pick a side

**Author's Note:**

> i'm @aksuallie on twitter lawl also i wrote this in like an hour and barely proofread it so my bad if it fuckin sucks LMAO
> 
> probably not going to make a second part to this but only time will tell me what the future holds

"I defended you," Niki spat as she pointed an accusatory finger at Ranboo. "And what are you doing now? You're pretending to be on Tubbo's side."

Her words like flint and steel, they ignited a fire inside of him.

"I never pretended to be on anyone's side – I don't _care_!" Ranboo shouted over everyone, hushing those who had been speaking. "Okay? I don't care about countries! You guys keep on choosing sides – you guys keep on choosing L'Manburg or the DreamSMP – why don't you choose _people_?"

"But you chose Tubbo!" Niki frustratedly gestured to the president far behind the hybrid. "I thought you were friends with him—"

"Yes, I trust Tubbo!"

"—and then you go and talk to Technoblade and Tommy!" Niki argued.

"Yes, because I trust them, too! Why can't I trust people on opposite sides?" Ranboo's voice grew louder as he became increasingly frantic in his attempts to make her understand. But she didn't. Why didn't she understand? She was the only one who could. And if she didn't, then he had no friends left in L'Manburg.

Puffy interjected, "Because that's called being a traitor!" Murmurs of agreement came from Niki, Fundy, and a few others around them that Ranboo didn't care enough to take note of.

He could pinpoint the exact moment his rage bubbled over, and at the top of his lungs he screamed, “No! It’s not called being a traitor - it’s called being a _friend_! Something that none of you know how to be, because you never visited Tommy in his exile, because you’ve _never_ cared about anything other than your own freedom!”

A stunned silence washed over the group. His breaths heavy, Ranboo let himself calm down for a moment. His face hardened as he looked Niki in the eyes and took a step forward.

“Niki,” He began, “L’Manburg is the source of all of our problems. Don’t you realize that, no matter what you do, Dream will always have control over it? What makes this L’Manburg isn’t the land, but the people. Defend your friends rather than this silly little piece of Earth.”

“How could you say that?” Niki asked, her voice barely above a whisper. “L’Manburg is our home. And if we keep fighting for it, one day, Dream won’t be able to touch it anymore.”

Ranboo shook his head. “I could build a mansion and it would be my house, but not my home. That’s why I’m not with L’Manburg, the DreamSMP, or the Arctic Empire. As long as I have my friends, I’m home.”

“Then fight with us,” Niki pleaded, tears slowly pooling at her eyes, “and help us stay together. Help us stay home with you.” Ranboo took her hands into his own with a smile. Niki gave him a watery smile of her own, but it was wiped off her face when he shook his head.

“No,” He said bluntly and without feeling. “You aren’t my friends. I gave you my everything, but because I’m compassionate to people you disagree with, you called me a traitor.”

“Then what are you going to do?” Fundy’s was distraught, his tail tucked between his legs as he looked at Ranboo with disbelief. “Are you just gonna watch as they destroy L’Manburg? As they blow up the nation we’ve worked and fought so hard for?”

“ _Watch_ them?” Ranboo laughed a wicked laugh, cackling like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “Oh, no, no, no. I’m going to _help_ them. I told you already - L’Manburg is what’s caused every single problem you’ve got. If it’s destroyed, then people can be friends without being pressured to pick a side between it and the DreamSMP.”

“Ranboo, no!” Niki cried. “This is your home, too”

“Maybe it was, but not anymore,” He said with a shrug. “I’m sorry, Niki, but I’ve been without a backbone for too long. I’m sticking to my guns this time, and I’ll fight every last one of you 'till my dying breath if it means I’ll be doing it alongside my friends.”

With his hands in his pockets, he strode away from a speechless Niki, Puffy and Fundy.

It was time to go see Technoblade and Philza.

It was time to destroy L’Manburg.

  
  



End file.
